Breaking The Mold
by Vixengirl101
Summary: Disaster strikes and Sasuke finds himself in a strange new city. Old problems resurface and both Uchihas must discover the secrets hidden in their past if they are ever to survive in this new world where nothing is as it seems. KyuuIta/NaruSasu and others
1. Prelude

**Title: Breaking the Mold**

**Rating: M**

**Pairings: KyuuIta, NaruSasu and Others. If you have a preference, leave a review and let me know =]**

**Summary: ****Disaster strikes and Sasuke finds himself in a strange new city. Old problems resurface and both Uchihas must discover the secrets hidden in their past if they are ever to survive in this new world where nothing is as it seems. **

**Chapter 1 - Prelude**

_The dark hallway light up as the old dragon lumbered around the corner. His silver scales reflected brilliantly off the tile floors as the once barren hallway came to life. Candles strategically placed along the walls seemed to magically light as the old dragon drug his enormous hulk around the bending corners of the hallway. Objects lost and forgotten lifted themselves from the floor and moved against the wall._

_There were no windows; at this depth, there was no need for them. The old dragon, accompanied by a smaller doglike creature moved slowly down the hallway, nodding his head while the doglike animal spoke._

"_Sire, you can't just sit by and let this happen! Do you realize the consequences of what you're –"_

"_I am fully aware of what will happen should I allow this travesty to occur. However, I am also aware of what tragedies may occur if I do not." The dragon's voice boomed out, interrupting the smaller creature's light voice. The dragon's voice echoes easily off the walls of the deserted hallway. _

"_But Sire –"_

"_Enough. We are here." The dragon's voice was final, aged as it was by years of experience. The smaller creature silenced itself, bowing its head slightly in acknowledgement._

_The lumbering hulk of the old dragon came to a stop, its silver scales scraping as it eased its body to the ground. Straightening out its neck as it sat upon the ground, the old dragon stood before the doors to another room._

_The double doors were made of an aged wood that resonated with an equally ancient magic. They were embroidered along the raised edges with a gold that shown even in the dark. In the center, divided down the middle by the crack of the doors, was a relief that spanned the length of the doors. _

_The relief itself was of two dragons, their necks entwined as they seemingly embraced each other. Behind one was the sun; the other, the moon._

_Speaking ancient magic, the doglike creature watched in fascination as the double doors started to hum and glow before they opened themselves to the old dragon's strange words. The old dragon glanced down, smiling slightly as he raised himself again and proceeded to enter the room._

_It was an old library, filled with ancient magic and knowledge that few still knew. Bookshelves lined the walls and a desk, filled with papers, was placed in the center of the room. There was enough space, the doglike creature noted, for a large dragon to fit into the space behind the desk and still be within easy reach of every book in the old room._

_Flapping his wings as he uttered another incantation, the dragon lit the room and removed volumes of dust from the nearby shelves. The doglike creature squeaked as he was pushed back by the winds and sputtered indignantly as he breathed in the dust. Shaking his head wildly, the creature continued to cough as a deep rumble filled the room. Looking up he realized it was the old dragon laughing as he moved behind the empty desk._

_He had no sooner sat down than another creature entered the room. Hissing wildly, the doglike creature backed away as a shadow moved into the room to stand before the old dragon. The dragon glanced in his direction before affixing his attention upon the shadow as it rose from the ground._

_A cloak of darkness swirled around it as the shadow hastily bowed before the old dragon._

"_Sire, there's a problem."_

_In its corner, the doglike creature straightened out, catching the eye of the old dragon before taking off out of the room. He had things to attend to now._

"_Continue." The old dragon urged as he tried to hide his amusement at the dog's antics. _

_The shadow creature looked up from the floor, showing its human face to the dragon._

"_It's the Uchiha family, Sire. They've been murdered. Only the sons survived."_

**This is a new story so I'll try to keep it in my schedule to update, but I can't be sure. I don't really expect any reviews for this chapter, but it would be nice. I'm debating on whether or not I should make all pairing in this homo or add some hetero ones as well. If you have an idea/vote for that, please let me know.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read this even though it's just one chapter so far. =]**


	2. Anything But Ordinary

The road stretched for miles before the speeding car. It wound itself along the side of the mountain range, leading the car further into the range. The side of the road was just big enough for a car before it dropped off into a steep decline down the side of the mountain, disappearing into the thick forest that lined the bottom of the mountain range.

The driver sped around another curve, cussing as he noticed another curve up ahead.

"Who the hell puts a town in the middle of fucking _nowhere_?!" He mumbled, his displeasure obvious as he raced around the next curve.

"-chi."

"I mean really; if I have to go around –"

"-tachi."

"–one more–"

"Itachii."

"–fucking curve–"

"I–tach–i."

"–I'm going to–"

"Itachi!"

"What?! It better be good, Sasuke, cause if it isn't–"

"It's right there."

"–and you interrupted my ranting–"

"The town is right there."

"–for no–wait, what?"

"It's right there, not even a couple miles away."

Itachi looked forward, sucking in a sharp breath as he saw their destination just ahead. The "town" was more like a city.

It was built into the side of the mountain range, the sides of the mountain forming a high ceiling that seemed to cloak the city in darkness. Sasuke idly noted that the sun only reached the front of the city, leaving the backside completely covered in shadow.

Behind the city, seemingly built into the very side of the rock and halfway shrouded in shadow stood –

"Konoha Academy."

Whether it was him or his brother that spoke, Sasuke couldn't tell, but he suspected it was both. He poked his brother to get his attention, noticing the scowl that appeared on his brother's face in reaction to it.

"Hn?"

"There's two boy's up there."

"So?"

"They're waving at us."

"I don't know them and I'm not picking up any fucking hitch–"

"Stop the car, Itachi."

"Why the fuck should I?"

"That guy said we get escorts to the Academy."

"_So_?"

"_So,_ I think _they_ are the escorts."

Itachi slowed the car at his brother's words, stopping a few feet in front of the two boys. They were standing on the shoulder of the road and Itachi had to pull to the opposite side (along the cliff edge) in order to get off the road.

The two boys stood side by side, never moving an inch as the sleek car stopped a few feet in front of them. One was a redhead, dressed in a deep red vest outlined in black accompanied by a pair of black leather pants. The other was a tall blonde, dressed in a similar fashion except for the startling orange color.

Itachi huffed and gripped the steering wheel as Sasuke undid his seatbelt and unlocked the car door.

"I'm staying in the damn car."

Sasuke opened the door, smirking at his brother's pouting. They'd both somehow managed to pick up their father's bad habits of poking and pouting to get his way. Sasuke stepped out into the cool air, feeling the way the wind moved around the mountain. To the side, he saw the blonde stop walking as the redhead continue to move forward.

The elegance with which the redhead moved had Sasuke enraptured. He couldn't help but stare as the redhead moved gracefully toward him. The slight sway in his hips and the way the small patch of skin showed above the line of his pants had Sasuke's full attention. He didn't even notice when the redhead stopped walking; he was more focused on the unnatural beauty of the boy standing before him.

Realizing what he was doing, Sasuke broke eye contract with the redhead's body and glanced inside. He noticed, with barely concealed amusement, that his brother's hand was inching toward the passenger door, as if he wanted to fling it open and drag Sasuke back inside.

"Welcome to Konoha. My brother and I will be escorting you to the Academy and through the city as well. My name is Kyuubi and this–" The redhead, "Kyuubi", turned to gesture to his brother, finally noticing the boy standing a ways behind him. The redhead stared.

"What _are_ you doing?" Kyuubi growled out, sounding really annoyed with the blonde.

"Standing here." Came the smart reply from the blonde, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Obviously. Now _why_ are you doing it?" Kyuubi asked, moving his hands in circles as if to encourage the blonde for more information.

"I'm not going over there, Kyuubi."

"Yes, you are." Kyuubi answered back with a finality that Sasuke recognized his brother using occasionally. The redhead turned, making a movement to go back to the blonde when said blonde spoke again.

"Smells."

"What?" Kyuubi froze, looking genuinely distressed by the blonde's statement. Sasuke, for the better part, was completely confused.

"It smells over there. So _I'm_ staying here." The blonde stated, pointing to the ground to reiterate his point.

"They don't _smell_ Naruto. They _can't_ smell." Kyuubi mumbled the last part and Sasuke wasn't sure he was supposed to hear it.

"Not _them_ Kyuubi. _HIM_." The boy, Naruto apparently, gestured his head in Sasuke direction. Kyuubi's eyes widened considerably before his head shot back around to look at Sasuke.

"You can't–" Kyuubi took a step toward Sasuke, his hand outreached.

"Don't you dare touch him."

Sasuke looked over to see his brother slamming the door shut. Across from him, Kyuubi gasped and took several steps back. He doubled over, looking like he'd been punched in the face as Naruto came up beside him.

"Told you." Naruto said, bending down beside his brother.

Sasuke noted that Naruto handed him something, something he hastily shoved into his mouth. Seconds later, Kyuubi erupted into a fit of coughing and his brother patted him on the back till the fit passed. Sasuke watched this proceed, not really interested, as his brother made his way around the front of the car and came to a stop beside Sasuke.

"Hey now, I don't smell _that _bad." Itachi joked, trying to get one the brothers to say something. Naruto looked up, a smile stretched across his face.

"Nope! He smells _much_ worse!" Naruto's grin grew as he pointed towards Sasuke.

"Hey!"

"Naruto!"

Sasuke couldn't help the tone of embarrassment that invaded his voice. Kyuubi stood up again, seemingly recovered, and smacked his brother lightly upon the back of the head.

"Hey! Kyuubi…" Naruto whined as he gripped the back of his head.

"Quit whining, Kit, you deserved it." Kyuubi huffed, folding his arms across his chest as he leveled the boy with a glare.

"Did no–"

Naruto was cut off as he was pulled sharply forward by the collar by Kyuubi. A bus went roaring by, it's horn blaring till it rounded the corner and disappeared behind the mountain range.

"Really Naruto? Really?" Kyuubi shook his head in exasperation as Sasuke struggled to regain his breath. He really shouldn't be laughing this hard. It wasn't _that_ funny. "You knew Kit! You _knew_ it was coming! You complain the whole way here about missing out on the trip!"

"Well _Sorry!_ I'm having a couple issues here and I wasn't paying attention." Naruto attempted to explain

"Obviously." The words were out before Sasuke could stop them but he didn't really try to. His snide remark was enough to set the blonde off.

"You little–"

"Naruto! Stop that immediately! You know it's not allowed. Anyway, we need to go. You guys need to be introduced to the Academy principal. He's just been _dying_ to meet you."

"The actual principle won't be here till next week though. We're kind of in a transition phase. The old principle's leaving and another one's coming in." Naruto stated, moving toward Itachi's car.

"Why? What's the problem with the current one?" Itachi asked as he moved towards the driver's side. Kyuubi followed closely behind.

"It's not so much as what's wrong with him, it's more or less…" Kyuubi trailed off, looking at Naruto as said boy opened the front passenger door, gesturing Sasuke inside.

"It's more like he's a freak, everyone hates him, and he's a total pedophile." Naruto answered as Sasuke slowly climbed in the front seat. Kyuubi expressed his agreement as Naruto closed the door and climbed into the backseat. On the other side of the car, Itachi held open the back door to the car as Kyuubi climbed in.

"So he's being replaced?" Sasuke asked from the front seat as his brother slide in next to him.

"Essentially. The Hokage felt it was necessary for everyone's safety." Kyuubi answered as Itachi started the car again. Beside him, Naruto snorted.

"Safety?" Itachi asked as he pulled across the road and continued on his way towards the city.

"The man's insane." Naruto stated, not making any attempts to hide his humor.

"You said 'Hokage'. What does that mean?" Sasuke asked, turning in his seat to face the two brothers in the back.

"The Hokage is the leader of the entire city. If you've got an issue with something, you go to him." Naruto answered, turning his face away from Sasuke to look out the window.

"Basically, he's like a mayor. Just, without the stupid, "we're-here-for-your-benefit" advisors." Kyuubi clarified, pulling Sasuke's attention away from Naruto.

"So this Hokage is getting involved in your school's business? Why?" Itachi asked, poking Sasuke in the stomach in order to get him to turn back around. Sasuke squeaked and quickly twisted back around to avoid another attack. In the back seat, both Kyuubi and Naruto tried to hide a smile.

"He's getting involved because the number of students in the city and enrolled in the academy seriously outnumber the adults now." Naruto stated as Kyuubi reached over Itachi shoulder to point out a narrow crack in the side of the mountain.

"Here? And what do you mean by 'now'?" Itachi asked as he slowed the car for the sharp turn. There was no way to get in the small crevice without making a rather sharp turn into it.

"Yes. What I meant was that the number of adults _used_ to easily outnumber the kids. Now it's reversed. The students outnumber the adults. And that's _never _a good thing." Kyuubi stated from the back seat.

Itachi pulled in to the little crevice, wincing as he realized just how small it really was. If another car pulled into the small space, Itachi would be forced to back out. The crevice floor was paved over, allowing the small car to pass quickly through without hitting many bumps.

Sasuke noticed that as they moved farther out of the sunlight, there were lights placed in a pattern along the wall. The lights were place at random intervals and alternated which side of the road they appeared on.

Suddenly, the small opening widened considerably, and Sasuke was left looking at what resembled a rest stop. Kyuubi told Itachi to pull and park in one of the places on the right.

Itachi complied and quickly pulled the car into a spot near the road. Sasuke noticed that the road literally ended at the "rest stop".

"How do we get into the city if the road stops here?" Sasuke asked as he undid his seat belt and exited the car.

"We walk. There's a small tunnel we have to take that will lead us down into the city. This is purely for safety; to ensure that no strangers get into the city." Kyuubi stated as he gestured idly to building behind him.

"Strangers? But can't you get to the city from the main road anyway?" Itachi asked as he closed the car door behind him and pocketed the keys.

"No, you can't. This passage is the only way into the city. The only reason you can even see the city from the main road is because–"

"Kyuubi, we should let the Hokage explain it." Naruto interrupted and he placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. Kyuubi shrugged him off, moving toward the building Sasuke had recently nicknamed Dead End.

Dead End was an extravagantly decorated waste of time if anyone had bothered to ask Sasuke. The path leading up to the front door was lined with what looked like strange black roses.

The bush the rose was attacked to came up to Sasuke's waist. The rose itself was back in the push, just barely out far enough for anyone to see it. It was deep black color, drawing the looker's attention with its seemingly endless depth. Looking at it, one would have to reach into the thorns of the bush to be able pick the rose, something Sasuke decided against.

But it wasn't the rose that had caught Sasuke's attention. The bush itself was covered in a layer of vines that seemed to twist and moves along the line of bushes. But as Sasuke moved closer to them, they stopped moving so quickly that Sasuke wondered if he had ever even seen it.

He was just about to reach and touch the vines, just to see if they would move, when another hand closed over his. Sasuke couldn't even move his fingers as he hand was steadily encased in a steel trap. Looking up, Sasuke flinched back, stopping only due to the tight grasp on his hand.

Naruto stood directly behind Sasuke, looking down almost hatefully at the boy who's hand he held in his grasp.

"Don't touch those. Ever." Naruto stated harshly before he turned and walked away, dragging Sasuke along behind him.

"O-Okay…" Sasuke stuttered as he tried to regain his composure. The look Naruto had given him had definitely shaken him. Trailing along behind Naruto, Sasuke struggled to keep up with the fast pace of the boy tugging him along. Granted, Naruto was taller, but only so by a few inches, Sasuke figured he really shouldn't be having this much trouble.

Sasuke was just about to ask Naruto to slow down when they caught up to Kyuubi and Itachi standing at the front door to the building. Coming to a stop in front of them, Sasuke idly noticed that his hand was still crushed in Naruto's grip and he wondered if he'd ever get it back.

"Alright, let's go on in. Itachi, Sasuke, try to stay with us. You _don't_ want to get lost in here." Kyuubi stated as he eyed Naruto wearily. Turning, Kyuubi opened one of the large wooden doors leading into the building.

Kyuubi leading the way and Naruto tugging Sasuke along, they made their way inside.

**~*~*~*~**

**Warnings: (This is an incomplete list and will be added to as the story progresses) Yaoi, OC (Out of Character) and AU (Alternate Universe)**

**Pairings: Most are undetermined so if you have a preference or would like to see something, mention it and I'll see what I can do for you. Currently though the pairing are ItaKyuuIta (Meaning I don't know who's uke and who's seme yet), NaruSasuNaru (Same predicament as before) and NejiGaara (because someone mentioned wanting to see them together for something else)**

**Couple of things here:**

**Abbreviations will be explained in the author's note if I haven't used them before. This is because half the time when abbreviations are used, **_**I**_** do not understand them and I'm not going to assume you do. If I explain what the abbreviations mean, it's easier for both you and me to understand what I'm talking about. It's all about being on the same page. I will explain them if I haven't used them before. If you already know them, then continue on for I am simply wasting your time. =]**

**Characters are OC because they are basically normal people. Itachi didn't kill anyone, nor does he have any (current) intentions of killing people. Sasuke isn't emo, which is why he will come of seem kind of pansy-ish. I going to try and have people react as they normally would.**

**This world is a combination of the real world and one I'm creating. I will try to explain everything about it, but if you find loopholes/contradictions in the things I write, PLEASE TELL ME. I love when people make me analyze my work because it's make my writing better. So please, don't hesitate to point out such things.**

**As for fictional monsters, most of them I have picked out but if you have ideas for a character and the monster they should be, just mention it in a comment.**

**Titles will always be titles of songs and either reflect something or foreshadow what's going to happen in the next chapter. I will also list the title Name and Singer down here for those of you who wish to listen to them. Plus, I'm using the name not making it up, so I think I need to give credit where it's due.**

**Anything But Ordinary – Avril Lavigne**

**Naruto Characters Are Not Mine, They are Property of that Kishimoto guy. I think…**

**Anyway, Thanks For Reading!**


	3. Not An Angel

Sasuke openly gaped as the inside of the building, so much larger than could ever be necessary, came into view. The place was bustling; people running here and there as if they were preparing for something. No one even bothered to look over as the four of them entered.

Sasuke glanced up, wondering just how big the place really was. What had to be several hundred feet above his head, a massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, and despite his best attempts, Sasuke couldn't find the chain that connected it to the rock ceiling. It almost seemed to be _floating_. It was entirely made out of the glass, producing the only light in the entire building.

Naruto released Sasuke's hand, pulling his eyes from the chandelier in order to watch where he was going. Sasuke glanced at Itachi, finding him looking just as amazed as he felt. Glancing around again, Sasuke was startled when a hand found its way around his waist.

"Hey there gorgeous, what's your name?"

Sasuke's head snapped to look at the offender, only to find himself looking into the muscled chest of someone taller than him. He cursed silently and looked up, taking a step back in order to see the man's face. Spiky brown hair and a dazzlingly sharp set of canine teeth met his eyes as he sized up the man. Sasuke scowled as the previous comment came back to him and he looked down, finding the man's arm winding itself around his waist again to pull him forward.

"Kiba, what the hell are you doing?" Sasuke flinched, glancing back over his shoulder to assess the damage. Yep, sure enough Naruto was glaring the boy down. Sasuke turned back to Kiba, looking for any chance to slip silently away without having to face the hatred that shined in Naruto's eyes. Despite his best attempts, Sasuke still couldn't figure out why having the boy's hatred directly at _him _was causing him so many problems. He'd never once cared how the boys looked at him at his old school, but here…something felt different.

"Just checking out the merchandise." Kiba stated nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders for emphasis. "He up for grabs?" Kiba jerked his thumb in Sasuke direction, not even bothering to look at Sasuke. Sasuke took the boy's momentary distraction as an escape route and slithered his way out from Kiba's grip. Just as he felt the arm slip from around his waist, Sasuke felt another wrapping itself around his wrist.

"No. He's the new student, Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto never even acknowledged Sasuke's squeak of protest as he was pulled roughly backwards. Sasuke glanced up from his captured arm just as Kiba looked down at him and winked.

"Oh. So he'll be in school with us then? At the Academy?" Kiba questioned as he slipped his hands into his pockets. Kyuubi dragged a muttering Itachi up with him as he entered their conversation.

"Where else would he be?" Came Kyuubi's sarcastic remark as Itachi moved over to release Sasuke from Naruto's grip on his wrist. A few minutes and a muttered "release him already" and Sasuke was free, rubbing his wrist where the blonde had held him.

"It was just a question. An affirmation of information, if you would." Kiba said, shrugging his shoulders and looking away from the redhead. His eyes narrowed in on something behind them. Sasuke turned, looking to see what it was when he froze.

He turned back, just to make sure he'd seen it right but the apparition was gone. Sasuke shook his head rapidly, dispelling the images from his mind. There was no way; it was just…impossible. He glanced over at Kyubi, wondering if it was the same with the boy's brother. He gasped and took a step back, there was just _no way._

There, beneath both boys, were the shadows Sasuke had just seen. But it wasn't so much the shadows that disturbed Sasuke, as what the shadows were _doing._ The shadows were….growing. They started beneath the boys then moved out, seeming to encompass everything around them. Staring at the floor, Sasuke noticed that both shadows seemed to avoid Kiba, though they had no problem spreading out and engulfing Sasuke's own shadow. He lifted his foot, meaning to step back wards and watch the shadows progression when they shifted.

Across the hall, someone screamed as the lights flickered off and encompassed everyone in complete darkness. Unlike a normal building, this one was built inside a mountain so the presence of sunlight was absent. Sasuke looked up, finding no point in looking at shadows when _everything_ was encased in shadows. He reached a hand out, trying to find his brothers when he felt it.

Against his will, his entire body froze up and Sasuke couldn't even find the will to move his outstretched hand; fear held his entire body in place. _Something_ was directly behind him and he could feel it breathing down his neck. He swallowed sure it was just Naruto or someone trying to scare him when he felt arms start to wrap around his legs or something that seemed to act like arms. He looked down, fighting against the rising urge to scream as he saw what it was.

The darkness moved around his legs, dancing in between them crawling up as Sasuke fought the urge to run and scream like a little girl. It was still completely dark, but even in the darkness, Sasuke could distinguish between that and the moving shadows. He felt them moving, touching him, icy fingers caressing his skin through the thin fabric of his jeans. He stepped back, fighting the urge to run but knowing he needed to do something.

Sasuke froze again as his back touched the icy cold wall behind him. The shadows followed him, weaving themselves back between his legs and moving further up as they continued to rise from the floor. His eyes finally decided to adjust to the darkness and Sasuke stared down in horrors as the shadows turned into something considerably worse.

Sasuke could feel the scream welling up within him as he stared at the things, convinced he had to be imagining it. They looked like human bodies extending their arms from the floor. Their lower half was spread out along the floor, melding with the others and forming a pool of something the hovered just above the floor. To Sasuke, it literally looked like someone had poured water over the floor and the water had risen up from the floor to form creatures. _Creatures that were clawing their way up his legs._

In the distance, the words "found it!" slowly made themselves known to his mind. Sasuke's eyes widened and stared open-eyes as the wall behind him shifted and Sasuke found himself falling down. The creatures surged forward, one creature's hand ghosting across Sasuke's skin before the lights flickered back on and the shadow-creatures instantly disappeared. _It was as if they were only visible in the darkness, _and that thought alone scared Sasuke senseless.

"Fuck." He stared ahead, unsure of what to do and wondering if what he'd just seen was even real. He's always been a little strange but never had he seen creatures like _that_ before. He could still feel that one's hand swiping across his face.

"What's a matter, Princess?" Sasuke flinched and looked up, seeing both Kiba and Naruto looking worriedly down at him. He shook his head rapidly, trying to dispel the images of the shadow-creatures, and took both boy's extended hands.

"Nothing." He muttered, dusting himself off and glancing around. Everyone looked fine, casually going back to their activities before the blackout. He fixed his rumpled hair, finding comfort in the silky locks as he ran his fingers effortlessly through them.

He froze as a hand landed harshly on his shoulder.

"That's not what it looks like to me, Shortie." Sasuke looked up, scowling at the nickname as he took in the features of a tough-looking brunette.

"I'm not short." Sasuke stated haughtily as he looked the other direction, anywhere but at the crowd of people staring worriedly at him. The woman snorted and clapped him on the back.

"Course you ain't. Anyway, Shortie, my name's Temari. Nice to meet ya." Termari held out her hand and Sasuke felt compelled to take it. He had barely extended his hand when he found hers already engulfing his.

"Sasuke."

"Ah, the Uchiha. You'll be a welcome addition 'round here but I'd watch out for the boys. Seeing someone so small might give them…ideas. If ya know what I mean." She winked at him before glancing over to Kiba and Naruto. Both boys made a point of looking the other way, Naruto and Kiba looking opposite directions.

"Right. I'll keep that in mind then." Sasuke drawled, trying to ignore the sinking feeling at being purposely ignored. Another clap to the back, harder than the one before it, drew Sasuke's attention from his own silent musing. He glanced up to find Temari smiling brightly down at him, the chandelier above her turning her hair a startling bleach blonde color.

"KK, see ya'll later then. I gotta a bus to catch." She smiled brightly down, drawing a smile to Sasuke's lips before she turned to leave. Kiba reached out, snagging her by the edge of her shirt before she even had the chance to take one step.

"Wait for me, k?" Sasuke didn't even notice as a scowl made its way across his face as Temari nodded and jerked her head in the other direction. Kiba seemed to understand whatever she meant because he released her before turning back to the group. "Naruto, you up for catching the bus? You seemed so ready to yesterday." A delicate eyebrow arched into the jagged hairline as Kiba caught Sasuke's scowl.

"Can't. It's my job to escort these two across the town and over to the Academy. Gotta settle them in, ya know?" Naruto seemed to loosen up now that Kiba's attention seemed to be off Sasuke. He straightened up and smiled, drawing Sasuke's attention to the impossibly straight teeth behind the brutally lush pink lips. The smiling lips and bright blonde hair had Sasuke thinking about angels before he shook his head rapidly to dispel the thoughts.

"Alright, your loss. Catch you all later." Kiba stated throwing his arm back in a wave as he walked past Sasuke. Stopping just before he was completely passed the smaller boy, Kiba bent down to whisper in Sasuke's ear, placing his hand on his shoulder to keep the boy from moving away. "Watch it princess, he's not an angel." Kiba tapped Sasuke on the shoulder, effectively snapping his out of the daze before he left. Sasuke stared at the departing back of the brunette, wondering how the hell he'd known about what Sasuke was thinking.

A bell sounded in the distance, but from where, Sasuke couldn't tell. He watched as the room emptied of students, all of them filing out through a large hallway that Sasuke couldn't believe he'd missed before. The cave like entrance was huge, spanning at least a hundred feet wide to accommodate the number of students filing through it.

"Alright, let's get you two to the Academy. Now that a third of the student body is gone, it should be easy to maneuver around the other two thirds." Kyuubi's voice pulled Sasuke's attention from the hallway, where he was still watching student file through the hallway. He could almost swear the entrance was getting smaller.

"A third?!" There was no way that was only a third of the student body. Sasuke was sure that group of students had to bigger than the student body of the three biggest universities!

"The Academy teaches all the high-schoolers and all the college students of this town. Believe me, that's a lot of kids." Naruto stated, pushing the small of Sasuke's back to get him to turn the other direction. Moving him forward, Sasuke took the opportunity to glance sideways, back at the hallway. He froze, causing Naruto to bump into him as he stared at the hallway. _Or where it used to be_.

"It's gone." Sasuke stated, pointing to the hall-the wall where it used to be. The hallway was completely gone, as if it had appeared for the sole purpose of allowing the students to leave and then left.

"Yea, it does that sometimes." Naruto stated pushing the smaller boy forward. Sasuke balked, almost disbelieving that Naruto thought it was _normal._

Pushing his upper body forward, Sasuke managed to get his body upright from the tilted position that Naruto's rushed pace had forced him into. He walked, letting his mind wander back to the tall brunette. Kiba seemed to exude a confidence that Sasuke couldn't place. It unsettled him, how easily Kiba seemed to pull Sasuke towards him; there was just something about him that Sasuke couldn't resist wanting.

Lost in his silent musings, Sasuke failed to notice when the others stopped walking. He looked up, finding himself alone and standing just before a very tall, and very old, man. He backtracked, finding himself stumbling backwards as the man smiled at him. A firm hand found its way onto the small of his back, pushing reassuringly back against Sasuke as he struggled to regain his balance.

"It's alright Sasuke, it's just Sandaime." Naruto's voice whispered reassuringly in his ear and he finally straightened himself.

"Sandaime?" He glanced back over his shoulder, flinching back slightly as he realized just how close Naruto was.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." The joking voice pulled Sasuke's attention from the group behind him and the hand that was still on his back.

Sasuke found himself staring at the man, taking in his odd features. Sure, he was old, but Sasuke's eyes focus in on the tattoos that raced down his body. Despite the fact that he had too be at least 100 years old, he wore no shirt, showing off a well-muscled and excessively tattooed body. His face was wrinkled, the only sign that he was of a much older age. The tattoo seemed to end or start here, Sasuke couldn't figure out which but his eyes still followed the flowing back ink down to the body. It seemed to take on the appearance of something wrapping itself around the man. Sandaime turned, smiling as he did so to reveal a large black dragon, its wings extending around to front of the man and its horns circling around the back of the neck to crawl up onto his face.

"Whoa." Sasuke felt the word slipping from his mouth before he could stop it and by the time the Sandaime had made a complete circle, Sasuke was sure it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen. A small poke, coming from the left, alerted Sasuke to Itachi's position and he glanced over to see Itachi mimicking him picking his mouth up off the floor. He promptly shut his mouth.

"As Uzumaki-san has just stated, I am Sandaime. The Hokage for Konoha. It's my extreme pleasure to meet you." Sandaime stated, holding out his left hand. Sasuke paused, uncertain if the man knew he was extending the wrong hand.

"Our thanks for taking us in." Itachi's quick reply and outstretched hand caught Sasuke by surprise. A look from him told Sasuke he needed to get it together…quickly.

"Nonsense. Now, I'm sure it's been a long trek here so may I assist by best students in their escorting assignment?" The Hokage had turned to Naruto and Kyuubi at this point, and Sasuke found himself staring at the empty space he had once been standing in.

"Of course Sandaime, it would be our pleasure." Twin voice responded just as Sasuke managed to snap himself out of his daze. He turned to find Itachi's two fingers positioned on his forehead. Before he could react, he felt the small push and found himself falling backwards. Again.

"Well then, let start out for the A-"

Sasuke looked up from his position on the floor to find three people looking at him in confusion while the other simply glared. He sighed; he really should have seen that coming.

"You okay there?" Naruto reached out, grasping Sasuke by the forearm and pulling him up. He immediately released him, not even waiting for an answer before he turned back to the Hokage. "Shall we?" Naruto swept his arm out behind him, gesturing for everyone to continue walking.

Looking down, Sasuke could feel his face heat up. He barely had time to react before Naruto had both hands on his back pushing him forward again as the others starting walking again. Sasuke glanced around finding his brother smirking back at him as he followed behind Kyuubi. The Hokage lead the way and Sasuke found himself staring as the old man set the pace for the group, leaving Sasuke struggling to keep up.

He was steadily falling behind, even with Naruto pushing him along when the Hokage stopped before a wall. Sasuke looked up, catching his breathe as he tried to figure out why they were standing in front of the rock wall that made up the back of the building.

"Wha–"

"Just watch." A voice whispered in Sasuke's ear as the Hokage placed both hands on the rock wall in front of him.

Sasuke could visibly see the man take a deep breathe and then, muttering words in a language Sasuke couldn't place, he slowly pulled him hands apart and left Sasuke staring. The wall was _moving_ with his hands, opening to reveal a long winding passageway leading down into the mountain. The Hokage stretched his arms out as far as they would go before he released the rock wall letting it settled down into its new position with a deep rumble. He turned then, spreading his arms out in a wide gesture that eerily resembled a hug.

"Welcome to Konoha, City of the Damned."

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**This story is finally getting rolling and I'm very happy about it. Thanks for reading it or coming back to read it because its not very far in so, thank you. =]**

**Many of the creatures/monsters/supernatural beings will be combinations of what I want them to be and from different books I'm reading/going to be reading. If you have any recommendations for books I should read for certain creatures, please don't hesitate to email me or just leave a review with the book title, author, and the creature I'm supposed to focus in on. PLEASE NO TWILIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS!**

**For any new creatures, I'll try to tell you the books/movies that I took their characteristics/abilities from. If I liked the book enough, I may even give a summary.**

**Current pairings for this story are as follows: KyuuItaKyuu, NaruSasuNaru, GaaNeji**

**Song: Not An Angel **

**Artist: City Sleeps**


End file.
